Toxoplasma gondii infection induces cell apoptosis via multiple pathways revealed by transcriptome analysis / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide parasite that can infect almost all kinds of mammals and cause fatal toxoplasmosis in immunocompromised patients. Apoptosis is one of the principal strategies of host cells to clear pathogens and maintain organismal homeostasis, but the mechanism of cell apoptosis induced by T. gondii remains obscure. To explore the apoptosis influenced by T. gondii, Vero cells infected or uninfected with the parasite were subjected to apoptosis detection and subsequent dual RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Using high-throughput Illumina sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, we found that pro-apoptosis genes such as DNA damage-inducible transcript 3 (DDIT3), growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible α (GADD45A), caspase-3 (CASP3), and high-temperature requirement protease A2 (HtrA2) were upregulated, and anti-apoptosis genes such as poly(adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose) polymerase family member 3 (PARP3), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) repeat containing 5 (BIRC5) were downregulated. Besides, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 1 (TRAF1), TRAF2, TNF receptor superfamily member 10b (TNFRSF10b), disabled homolog 2 (DAB2)‍-interacting protein (DAB2IP), and inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 3 (ITPR3) were enriched in the upstream of TNF, TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways, and TRAIL-receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2) was regarded as an important membrane receptor influenced by T. gondii that had not been previously considered. In conclusion, the T. gondii RH strain could promote and mediate apoptosis through multiple pathways mentioned above in Vero cells. Our findings improve the understanding of the T. gondii infection process through providing new insights into the related cellular apoptosis mechanisms.

Progress in nanobody and its application in diagnosis / 生物工程学报

Nanobodies are derived from the variable domain of the heavy-chain antibodies (HCAbs) that occur naturally in the serum of Camelidae. They are the smallest antibody fragments capable to bind antigens. With the characteristics of their increased solubility, increased domain stabilities, nanomolar affinities, easy crossing the blood-brain barrier, easy generation, engineering, optimization and tailoring, easy humanization, nanobodies have extensive application prospects in diagnosis and detection. Although nanobody has demonstrated tremendous success, a number of practical challenges limit its broader applications in disease diagnosis and detection, including construction of a phage library and selection of nanobody fragments with high affinity and immunogold labeling technique. Here, we review several recent findings on the use of nanobodies in molecular diagnostics and suggest some practical strategies in resolving the current challenges in this attractive research area, particularly to optimize the affinity, solubility, humanization of nanobodies.

Characteristics of glucose metabolism in non-obese and obese women with polycystic ovarian syndrome / 中国综合临床

Objective To investigate characteristics of glucose metabolism of non-obese and obese women with polycystie ovary syndrome(PCOS).Methods From March 2008 to July 2011,118 PCOS patients were enrolled in this study and were divided into 53 cases (body mass index(BMI) ≥25 kg/m2) in obese group and 65 cases (BMI ＜ 25 kg/m2) in non-obese group.Participants' clinical data,glucose tolerance and insulin release test results were retrospectively reviewed.The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM),results of oral glucose tolerance test,impaired fasting glucose (IFG),impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were compared between the two groups.Results (1) Blood glucose levels:at the time points of 30,60,120 and 180 minutes,the levels of fasting glucose were (5.2 ± 1.1),(8.5 ± 2.8),(8.1 ± 2.4),(6.3 ± 2.0) and (4.8 ± 1.5)mmol/L in non-obese group and(5.4 ±0.9),(9.1 ± 1.8),(9.3 ±0.6),(7.6 ± 1.0) and (5.4 ±0.8) mmol/L in obese group.Statistical difference was observed between obese and non-obese groups at each time point (t =-6.125,-4.005,-6.074,-6.751 and-4.512 respectively,P ＜0.01).(2) The level of insulin:at the time points of 30,60 and 120 min,the level of fasting insulin were (8 ± 4),(55 ± 21),(65 ± 14) and (45 ±18)mU/L in non-obese group and (13 ± 8),(85± 30),(105± 54) and (76 ± 46)mU/L in obese group.There were significant statistical difference between the two groups at each time point (t =-17.024,-12.540,-15.791 and-16.149 respectively,P ＜ 0.01).However,at the time point of 180 minutes,the level of insulin did not exhibit significant difference between obese and non-obese groups (P ＞ 0.05).(3) The prevalence of abnormal glucose metabolism:The rates of IGT were 13.85 ％ (9/65) in non-obese group and 24.53 ％ (13/53)in obese group,which also showed remarkable difference (x2 =18.446,P ＜ 0.01).The rates of T2DM were 1.54％ (1/65) in non-obese group and 7.55％ (4/53) in obese group,which reached significant difference (x2=16.005,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion Abnormal glucose metabolism was observed more frequently in overweight or obese PCOS women.

Practice on delicacy management of hospital logistics services / 中华医院管理杂志

Delicacy management is an important issue to the hospital logistics mode innovation,which is the only way to realize a scientific hospital logistics management.This article proposes the practical ways to push on the hospital logistics delicacy management from many respects,such as working regulation,consumption measurement,contract supervision,cost accounting,structure control and convergence supporting.

Observation on the Change of Anti-S.japonicum Antibody Level in Population Migrated from Outside Embankment to New Town / 中国寄生虫学与寄生虫病杂志

Objective To detect the change of the anti-S. japonicum antibody level after people migrated from outside embankment to newly established town. Methods Three pilot spots were established for the investigation: one spot thut both inhabitancy and cultivation disused (A), one spot that only inhabitancy disused but farming continued (B) and the third one served as control (C). DIGFA and ELISA were used to detect the antibody level in the populations from 2002 to 2005. Results The positive rate of anti-S.japonkum antibody declined significantly from 6.63% to 3.52% by DIGFA and from 7.26% to 3.71% by ELISA at spot A (X2=5.2625, P